On today’s show we have Dr Alan Christianson. You may have seen him on CNN, the “Today Show” or “The Doctors.” He is a specialist in the thyroid, and the author of “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Thyroid Disease.”
Alright, onto the show with the unicycling Doc.
- What you need to know about your thyroid
- Why you might consider eating protein in the morning
- What’s it’s like to be a semi-pro off-road unicyclist
- And tons more…
Here’s the show:
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What did you think of this conversation with Dr. Christianson? Drop a comment below!
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Awesome show as always Abel! Keep it up man! I would like your thoughts on Dr. Alan’s comments on skipping breakfast, drinking fatty coffee, etc… He sounded like fasting or not eating enough protein first thing in the morning had more cost than benefit? That is the total opposite of what you advocate and especially what John Keifer says. As Robb Wolf would put it, “It all comes down to who are you and what you are trying to accomplish?” I enjoy skipping breakfast if I’m in a rush or I don’t train first thing. If I train hard I definitely have a post-workout meal within 30mins of the session. Thoughts on Dr. Alan’s view of skipping breakfast increases cortisol?
Hi Daniel,
Thanks for the feedback.
Hey if you’re lean, healthy and happy, rock on! More than one way to skin a cat.
So many people I work with are really struggling with their health. Many of them are far from lean, female and older. I have to decide which information is likely to help the greatest number of them. I don’t take that lightly.
I was once told by a wise man to believe none of what I hear and less than half of what I see and I’d come out about right. Unfortunately, he drank himself to death soon afterwards but he had a point. (true story)
For all the limitations and biases built into research, there is still a case to be made for attempts at controlling variables and quantifying outcomes in statistically significant fashions.
Many papers have shown a high protein breakfast equals less night time cravings. For many mortals, this is the real enemy of leanness.
Here is a sample study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19283886
One of the better papers I have read on breakfast intake and fat metabolism is here:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3679985/
Cortisol follows insulin. One of the better studies on insulin and skipping breakfast is here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23031568
Cortisol itself has been shown to be lower in another study here: http://www.researchgate.net/publication/11370923_Stress_breakfast_cereal_consumption_and_cortisol/file/9fcfd5087ffed35322.pdf.
Wishing you great health and happiness,
Dr. C
Hi Thomas,
Thanks for the kind words. Great question!
I think Dr. Alan is a brilliant man – he definitely knows his stuff.
I’ve found great success following a compressed eating window. Great energy, productivity, physical performance, and I don’t feel “gassed” or “stressed.” However, I also tend to re-feed with breakfast (and a day of healthy indulgence) a few days a week, I’m young(ish), and lead a relatively low-cortisol life. That might explain why it seems to work well for me.
That said, one of my projects is monitoring my cortisol over the next few months, so stay tuned and we’ll see how the cookie crumbles. 🙂
Thanks for answering my question Abel! I agree with you and seem to get the same results to. I am in the military so when I can control my sleep, training and nutrition I do like fasting. If I’m in the field, deployed or in a school I stick with 3 meals per day. I try to stick to as close to Paleo as possible and eat enough carbs to support my training. I am 30yrs old, 6’1, 210# @ 12% BF. Taking advice from guys like you and Robb Wolf has definitely enabled me to stay healthy, feel awesome and perform better at my job! Thanks again brother and have a good weekend!
Not going to lie…..I’m totally biased, but it was a great show! You two seem like two peas in a pod! Thanks for another great episode!
Warmly,
Kirin Christianson
Thanks so much, Kirin. I’m biased, too. 🙂
I don’t get it. He discusses fatty liver disease and then leaves it at that. Why not discuss what to do about it?
Never enough time to cover it all! Hopefully we can have Dr Christianson back again soon. Hope you enjoyed the show otherwise! – Emily, FBM Team Coach
Hey Abel,
Great show! I suffer from hypothyroidism and polycystic ovarian syndrome (the leading cause of infertility). I was wondering if you were ever planning on researching these issues. I am trying to go gluten free to help with insulin resistance issues, but am wondering if there is anything else I should be doing. I think anything you can unearth on infertility would be much appreciated by your female followers.
It’s a topic that seems to be under-discussed and of course is very emotional and sensitive. I think people suffering from infertility and the underlying causes just want to know that they are doing everything they can.
Thanks!
Great question! We’ll definitely keep this suggestion in mind for future shows. Have you listened to Dr Sara Gottfried’s show with Abel? She touches on a TON of hormonal issues that you may find helpful in some way: fatburningman.com/dr-sara-gottfried-the-hormone-cure/ – Emily, FBM Team
I love listening to all your podcasts, this one in particular I’ve listened to multiple times and shared it as many times as I’ve listened. Thank you for some great content and sharing your experiences..
So glad you enjoyed it! Keep sharing 🙂 – Emily, FBM Team
Could Dr Christianson share they thyroid study on NORMAL people that he spoke about? From 2004 I think he said.
I’ll reach out to him and see if he can provide it to us! – Emily, FBM Team
What kind of diet would you recommend for someone that is insulin resistant, hyprothyroid, and has adrenal exhaustion? I hear on one hand cut out carbs then I hear no you must eat carbs……?